WALTHAM, Mass.,
March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Syndax
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage epigenetics oncology
company, today announced 11 posters on entinostat, an oral, highly
selective, class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, will be
presented at the 102nd Annual American Association for Cancer
Research meeting April 2 to April 6
in Orlando, FL.

"The breadth of exciting data being presented at AACR
provides additional insight into the opportunities for Syndax to
build out our entinostat development program," said Joanna Horobin, president and chief executive
officer of Syndax. "The AACR presentations add to the growing body
of evidence supporting the potential for entinostat in solid tumors
including the promising results with entinostat in combination with
Tarceva® in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer which were
presented at the end of last year. Recently we completed our
randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trial in metastatic
breast cancer which will be presented at a scientific conference
later this year and are aggressively moving forward with a pivotal
program in this patient population."

Entinostat is an orally bioavailable, highly selective,
class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor with a long half-life
that allows for weekly or every-other-week dosing. Entinostat is
being studied in advanced breast cancer in combination with
aromatase inhibitors and recently completed a randomized,
placebo-controlled phase 2 trial in this patient population. The
results will be presented at a scientific conference later this
year. Entinostat also is being studied in various cancers including
advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and advanced colorectal cancer
in combination with azacitidine. At the end of last year, results
were presented from a randomized phase 2 study showing a four-month
survival advantage when entinostat was added to erlotinib in
patients with lung cancers expressing high levels of E-cadherin.
Syndax has several studies ongoing under a cooperative research and
development agreement with the National Cancer Institute.

Research has shown that HDACs are involved in the
expression of various genes, such as the estrogen receptor, that
regulate cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Such genes are
frequently silenced in cancer cells through the over-expression of
enzymes including HDACs. HDACs are therefore recognized as
promising targets for cancer treatment. Further, studies have
demonstrated that HDAC inhibition can significantly enhance
anti-cancer activity when used in combination with a broad range of
anti-cancer agents. The potential therefore exists to overcome
tumor resistance to targeted agents.

About Syndax

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a Waltham, MA-based, oncology-focused
pharmaceutical company. Syndax is building a portfolio of new
oncology products to extend and improve the lives of patients by
developing and commercializing novel cancer therapies in optimized,
mechanistically driven combination regimens. Formed in 2005, the
company's intellectual property is based on work from scientific
founder Ronald Evans, Ph.D.,
recipient of the 2004 Albert Lasker Prize for Basic Medical
Research, a Member of the National Academy of Sciences, a professor
at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and a Howard Hughes
Medical Institute Investigator. Syndax has worldwide rights to
develop and commercialize entinostat and is backed by top-tier
Venture Capital firms: Domain Associates, MPM Capital, Avalon,
Pappas and Forward Ventures. For more information please visit
www.syndax.com.